Misconduct With Navy Chaplains

Military chaplains exist in order to provide religious and spiritual comfort to members of the armed forces. Chaplains in the Navy, however, have often provided much more - including sexual assault. People defending the idea that the evangelical Christian chaplains in the employ of the state should be allowed to evangelize members of the military haven't bothered to address this issue.

How bad have the problems been? Between 1994 and 1999, more members of the 870-strong Navy chaplain corps were disciplined than from the rest of the 32,000 regular officers. In 1999, then-Navy Secretary Richard Danzig ordered the creation of a new training and oversight program for the chaplains.

Associated Press reported a couple of years ago:

Most of the punished chaplains -- 28 of the 42 -- were accused of sexual misconduct or harassment, according to documents. For example, a Roman Catholic chaplain went to prison for molesting the young sons of sailors and Marines. A Seventh-day Adventist chaplain was court-martialed for an indecent assault during a counseling session.

According to one memo obtained by the Associated Press, it has been questioned whether there is a culture of tolerance in the Navy chaplain corps that leads to such things. I have to wonder whether it’s also due to a culture of self-righteousness: when people assume they are superior to those around them, it’s harder for them to admit any of their own faults.

 

Read More:

• Separation of Church and State 101
• Government Chaplains
• Secularism 101